Do Overweight People Have Worse Cognitive Flexibility? Cues-Triggered Food Craving May Have a Greater Impact

Background: Overweight people have been revealed to have poor cognitive flexibility. Cognitive flexibility reflects proactive and reactive control abilities. However, the impairment had not been explicitly positioned at the cognitive stage. Therefore, this study provides increased support for impairment of cognitive flexibility due to overweight. Method: The study included 34 overweight and 35 normal-weight participants. They were required to complete the food and flower target AX-continuous performance test (AX–CPT), including the resting-state fMRI and cue-triggered food craving subscales. We compared the performance difference between the two tasks. Furthermore, we investigated whether the cue-triggered food cravings and the corresponding brain regions mediated the effect of overweight on the two control mechanisms. Result: Significant differences were found only in the food target AX-CPT task, where overweight participants performed worse. Cue-triggered food cravings mediated this relationship. Additionally, we found that the brain regions associated with cue-triggered food cravings (bilateral SFG) can completely mediate the relationship between BMI and the z-value of the fat mass index and sensitivity to proactive control. Conclusion: In the food target task, overweight participants performed worse in both control mechanisms. Moreover, we also revealed the potential mechanism by which being overweight might affect the two control mechanisms through cue-triggered food cravings.

Feigned ADHD Associated Cognitive Impairment: Utility of Integrating an Eye-trAcker and the MOXO-dCPT

Objective: The current study assessed the utility of eye-movements measures, gathered while participants performed a commercially available Continuous Performance Test (CPT), to detect feigned ADHD-associated cognitive impairment. Method: Healthy simulators ( n = 37), ADHD patients ( n = 33), and healthy controls ( n = 36) performed an eye-tracker integrated MOXO-dCPT and a stand-alone validity indicator. Results: Simulators gazed significantly longer at regions that were irrelevant for successful MOXO-dCPT performance compared to ADHD patients and healthy controls. This eye-movement measure, however, had lower sensitivity than traditional MOXO-dCPT indices. Discussion: Gaze direction measures, gathered while performing a CPT, show initial promise as validity indicators. Traditional CPT measures, however, are more sensitive and therefore offer a more promising path for the establishment of CPT-based validity indicators. The current study is an initial exploration of the issue and further evaluation of both theoretical and practical aspects is mandated.

Assessment of Attentional Processes in Patients with Anxiety-Depressive Disorders Using Virtual Reality

To characterize the attention deficits in one-hundred-fifteen participants, comprising two types of clinical profiles (affective and anxiety disorder), through a test of continuous VR execution. Method: Three tests (i.e., Nesplora Aquarium, BDI, and STAI) were used to obtain a standardized measure of attention, as well as the existence and severity of depression and anxiety, respectively. Results: Significant differences (CI = 95%) were found between the control group and the group with depression, in variables related to the speed of visual processing (p = 0.008) in the absence of distractors (p = 0.041) and during the first dual execution task (p = 0.011). For scores related to sustained attention, patients with depression and those with anxiety did not differ from controls. Our results suggest attentional deficits in both clinical populations when performing a continuous performance test that involved the participation of the central executive system of working memory.

The Challenging Role of Theory of Mind in the Mothers of Children with Attention Deficit - Hyperactivity Disorder

Background: While theory of mind (ToM) deficit is frequently reported in children and adult with ADHD, there is no study investigating characteristics of ToM in their parents. This study aimed to investigate understanding intentionality as an important component of ToM ability in ADHD mothers and typically developing children’s mothers. Methods: Through available sampling, (50 mothers), 23 ADHD’s mothers were compared to 27 age and IQ matched typically developing children’s mothers. All participants were assessed using the Animated Triangle Task for ToM performance and the Conners’ Continuous Performance Test (CPT) to evaluate neurocognitive performance. The Mann–Whitney and t-test were used as data analysis methods to examine differences between two groups. Results: poor performance of ADHD mothers was at ToM task. (p < 0.001) However, no significant difference was found between the two groups of mothers in CPT-II performance (p > 0.001). Performance of ToM was not significantly associated with CPT-II. Conclusions: ADHD mothers may have deficits in understanding intentionality. The findings suggest that researchers pay more attention to recognizing social cognition and social communication characteristics of the parents of ADHD children. It seems that using specific training programs for the parents of ADHD children to achieve ToM capacities can contribute to the pro motion of their children’s social development.

Responsivity of the striatal dopamine system to methylphenidate – a within-subject I-123-β-CIT-SPECT study in children and adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Background: Methylphenidate (MPH) is the first-line pharmacological treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). MPH binds to the dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT), which has high density in the striatum. Assessments of the striatal dopamine transporter by single positron emission computed tomography (SPECT) in childhood and adolescent patients are rare but can provide insight in how effects of MPH affect DAT availability. The aim of our within-subject study was to investigate the effect of MPH on DAT availability and how responsivity to MPH in DAT availability is linked to clinical symptoms and cognitive functioning. Methods: Thirteen adolescent male patients (9-16 years) with diagnosis of ADHD according to DSM-IV and long-term stimulant medication (for at least 6 months) with MPH were assessed twice within 7 days using SPECT after application of I-123-beta-CIT to examine DAT binding potential (DAT BP). SPECT measures took place in on and off-MPH status balanced for order across participants. A virtual-reality continuous-performance test was performed at each time point. Further clinical symptoms were assessed for baseline off-MPH. Results: On-MPH status was associated with a highly significant decrease (-27,6%) of striatal DAT BP as compared to off-MPH (t=4.93, p<0.001). More pronounced decrease in striatal DAT BP was associated with higher off-MPH attentional and externalizing symptom ratings (Pearson r=0.68, p=0.01). Striatal DAT BP off-MPH, but not on- MPH, was associated with higher symptom ratings off-MPH (Pearson r=0.56, p=0.04). In further exploratory analysis in left vs. right striatal sub-regions, stronger decrease in DAT BP in the right caudate nucleus was weakly associated with improved performance in the continuous-performance test (Pearson r= - 0.54, p=0.07). Conclusion: Our findings corroborate previous reports from mainly adult samples that MPH reduces striatal DAT BP availability and suggest higher off-MPH DAT BP, likely reflecting low baseline DA levels, as a marker of symptom severity. More speculatively, regional specific responsivity of DAT BP to MPH may reflect treatment response with respect to cognitive functioning. However, implications from this small patient sample should be treated with caution and warrant replication.

Bracing Biophilia: When biophilic design promotes pupil’s attentional performance, perceived restorativeness and affiliation with Nature

Biophilic design is an architectural model that offers the possibility to create the Nature-based Innovative Learning Environment (ILE), which might support cognitive processes and stimulate affiliation with Nature. Bracing Biophilia is an exploratory research programme which verifies the effect of Nature-based ILEs on pupils’ attentional performance and affiliation with Nature. We compared a conventional learning environment with two Nature-based environments made according to biophilic design and the Biophilic Quality Index (BQI). The experimental observations spanned three school years; they were carried out within a conventional learning environment in the first year and in a biophilic designed one in the next two. Measurements, that is the administration of the Perceived Restorativeness Scale-children, the Continuous Performance test, and the Connectedness to Nature Scale-children, were deployed at regular intervals at three different times (autumn, winter, spring) of each school year. Results show that learning environments with biophilic design, in addition to being preferred and perceived as more restorative, are more effective in supporting pupils' attentional performance than conventional learning environments and, over time, strengthen the feeling of affiliation with Nature. A BQI certified biophilic design learning environment turns out to be the best of all indoor environments and just below the outdoor learning environment used as a comparison of biophilic design indoor environment. Although the objective limitation of this study is the number of pupils, the trend appears clear and cannot be attributed to pupils’ cognitive maturation processes. This case study allows us to appreciate the importance of the restorative learning environments with biophilic design capable of supporting the learning process and strengthening the affiliation with Nature.

Association Between Cognitive Function and Mechanical Pattern of Landing

Introduction: In examining the factors affecting sports injuries, the emphasis is always on physical variables, while cognitive and psychological characteristics can also be effective. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between sustained attention as a neurocognitive function and landing error as a mechanical factor associated with lower limb injuries. Materials and Methods: 44 female basketball players aged 18-25 years at the national league level participated in this study. The participants were assessed using the continuous performance test, and their landing-jumping was evaluated by the landing error scoring system in two conditions of high and low cognitive load. Results: The results showed that people’s landing errors increased significantly as a result of increased cognitive needs (P=0.0001). Also, the findings revealed a positive correlation between omission and commission errors with landing error scores in both low and high cognitive load conditions (P<0.05). Conclusion: Sustained attention could predict the landing error score that is considered a key risk factor of lower limb injuries. It is recommended that multiple cognitive and physical assessments be used to identify athletes at risk of injury. Hence, cognitive enhancement protocols may be effective along with physical preparation programs.

Williams syndrome: on the role of intellectual abilities in anxiety

Background Individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) have an elevated risk for anxiety disorders throughout the life span, making it a research priority to identify the individual factors associated with anxiety. Most of the existing literature is based on questionnaire data and suggests that impaired executive functions (EF) increase the risk for anxiety in WS. The aim of this study was to use direct measures by trained clinicians to investigate the effects of general intelligence, inhibition, sustained attention, and working memory on anxiety in WS, to further elucidate potential underlying mechanisms. Method Twenty-four individuals with WS participated in the study (mean age: 29 years, range: 9–53 years), together with at least one of their parents. The MINI international neuropsychiatric interview for DSM-5 was completed to establish clinical diagnosis of anxiety, and the Clinical Global Impression Scale – Severity was used for an expert rating of symptom severity. Intellectual abilities were measured using the Wechsler scales, and attention and inhibition using the Conner’s Continuous Performance Test. In addition, a parent-report questionnaire measuring EF, learning and memory was collected. Results In contrast to the apriori hypothesis, there was no significant association between anxiety and core elements of EF such as working memory, sustained attention, and inhibition (i.e. the process of restraining one’s impulses or behaviour). Using ordinal logistic regression analyses, we showed that decreasing intelligence quotient (IQ) and age are associated with elevated anxiety. We confirmed these results in between-groups analyses (anxiety disorder vs no current anxiety disorder), and low IQ was associated with higher risk of having an anxiety diagnosis. In addition, Bayesian statistics gave substantial evidence for no significant association between anxiety and inhibition. Conclusion By using direct measures of psychological pathology and functioning, the current results provide a deeper characterisation of the WS phenotype and provide novel insights into the potential mechanisms underpinning anxiety.

Sleep Instability Correlates with Attentional Impairment in Boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Theoretical models of sleep and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) suggest that symptoms of ADHD are associated with daytime sleepiness, but it has received little support. The present study aimed at testing an alternative model involving the association of attentional instability with sleep instability, i.e., sleep stage transitions and arousals. Twelve ADHD and 15 healthy control (HC) boys aged between 8 and 12 years old underwent polysomnography recording and attentional testing. The microarousal index, the number of awakenings, and the number of stage shifts between stages 1, 2, 3, 4 and REM sleep throughout the night were computed as sleep stability parameters. Attentional functioning was assessed using the Continuous Performance Test-II. We found significantly higher sleep instability in ADHD compared to HC. Sleep arousals and stage transitions (micro arousal index, stage 4/3 and 2/4 transitions) in ADHD significantly correlated with lower attentional scores. No association whatsoever was found between sleep instability and attentional functioning in HC. The results show that sleep instability is associated with lower attentional performance in boys with ADHD, but not in HC. This could be compatible with a model according to which attention and sleep stability share a common neural substrate in ADHD.

Randomized Controlled Trial of Probiotic PS128 in Children with Tourette Syndrome

Tourette syndrome results from a complex interaction between social–environmental factors, multiple genetic abnormalities, and neurotransmitter disturbances. This study is a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial using probiotics Lactobacillus plantarum PS128 as an intervention to examine if probiotics improve symptoms of children with Tourette syndrome. This study enrolled children aged 5 to 18 years old who fulfilled DSM-V diagnostic criteria for Tourette syndrome. Patients were assessed before initiating the trial, at one month, and at two months after randomization. The primary outcome was evaluated by Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), and the secondary outcome studied the possible comorbidities in these children. The results revealed no significant difference in improvement in YGTSS between the control group and the PS128 group. As for secondary endpoints, an analysis of Conners’ Continuous Performance Test (CPT) showed improvement in commission and detectability in the PS128 group. In conclusion, although probiotics may not have tic-reducing effects in children with Tourette syndrome, it may have benefits on comorbidities such as attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Further studies are needed to clarify the effects of probiotics on the comorbidities of Tourette syndrome children.